• +2 Wis
• -2 Char
• +2 to One Ability Score: Half-Vistani characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.

• Not of the Blood For all special abilities and effects, Half-Vistani are considered Human. They receive none of the racial traits of humans.

• Base Outcast Rating 2. This may be reduced by 2 with a DC 15 Disguise check

• Medium Half-Vistani are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Survivor (ex):
+2 Racial bonus on Survival checks.
Half-Vistani may re-roll any attempt to light a fire (in any weather conditions) or rolls not to become lost while in the mist. They may pick the best of the two rolls.

• Moon Madness (su)
During the period of the full moon each month, the half-vistani suffers a -2 morale penalty on Wisdom. During this period if the half vistani is indoors they are shaken and when outdoors gain a +5ft morale bonus on their base speed.

Choose one tribe where your Vistani parent originated and apply the below traits to your character.

Zarovan Tribe
• +2 Racial bonus on Ride checks.
• You may re-roll your Intiative checks, but must take the second result.

Languages Half-Vistani begin play speaking the language of the domain they where born in. If the Half-Vistani was raised amongst the Vistani they will also have learned Patterna. Half-Vistani with high Intelligence scores can choose to learn domain languages of domains they have had contact with.

Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you cast a spell of the Illusion school, you gain a 20% miss chance for 1 round/level.

Bloodline Powers: You can call upon the fickle powers of the mists and the creatures that dwell within them.

Unnerving or Restive Touch (Sp): Starting at 1st level, you can make a melee touch attack as a standard action that causes a living creature to take a -2 morale penalty or +2 morale bonus to fear and madness saves for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your sorcerer level (minimum 1). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

At Home in the Mist (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain resist cold 5 and +2 morale bonus on survival checks. At 9th level, your resistance to cold increases to 10 and your morale bonus to survival increases to +5.

Part of the Mist(Sp): At 9th level, you can assume gaseous form for 1 round per sorcerer level every day. It is a standard action, which does not provoke an attack of opportunity, to assume this form. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 round increments.

Greater Part to Play (Su): At 15th level, the dark powers recognise you have a part to play within the dread realms. Once per day, when an attack or spell that causes damage would result in your death, you may attempt a DC 20 Will save. If successful, you are instead reduced to –1 hit points and are automatically stabilized. The mists envelope you and you are transported to another domain with realms (DM’s choice).

Mistborn (Ex): At 20th level, you truly are a creature of the mists. You gain the Mist Subtype.

For the -2 Cha, I'd also throw in that their spell DC's and maybe Channeling is treated as 2 poins higher, like Tieflings. PF did go a little bit along the road of not shoehorning races into specific classes only, and as presented, it kind of makes Caliban non-casters only, where they really should be more casterish, (being humans that are corrupted by magic in the womb). They seem very inclined towards both the Oracle and Sorcerer (thematically), but their stats just don't say that.

Also, for Tainted Blood, maybe have them treated as Humanoid (Giants), rather than Humaniod (Caliban), which would mean that your would need to add things like Magical Property: Bane (Caliban), and the like. Just treat them as Giant subtypes and easy fix.

Alternatively, you might just use the Half-Orc and rename them Caliban, and switch around the Weapon Proficiencies some, to maybe Great Axe, EarthShaker, and Great Club, or something along those lines.

What if Fear, Horror, and Maddness Checks where based on the CMB/CMD idea rather than as Saves? What I mean is, what if a monster that might invoke a Horror check, for instance, simply has a Horror Modifier Bonus and the characters have a straight Horror Modifier Defense, to make it feel more PathFindery. Just an idea.

Fair point on the Charisma and spellcasting. Visually I'm not to bothered by the Channeling. As with all supernatural and spellcasting descriptions need to be more toned down than your average high fantasy campaign.

I was never that fond of the interchangeable half-orce/caliban. Thought if you were going to have them as a race they may as well be different.

Not sure if a horror defense is the best idea. The saves never cluttered up games the way that grappling did.

I'm preparing all this for an up coming campaign, so there will be some playtesting.

Sure, the Half-Orc/Caliban was just an idea for simplicity. And because for the first time, Half-Orc is useful for something besides fighter or Barabarian. :)

For the horror checks, just a thought, but you might be right. I think the concept I sort of had in mind was that they would almost be more like the Passive Perception checks of 4E rather than a constant roll each time the players see something bad.

I really like Ravenloft, but it is difficult to come up with universal rules because the setting has everything from early stone age to post renaissance. Also, not to fault White Wolf, but they really didn't have a great grasp of d20 when they did Ravenloft, either, so some of the implied fluff just didn't work with the mechanics.

If you're interested, I have been converting a lot of my house rule for Ravenloft over to Pathfinder. I've three new Core Classes (Gypsy, Scholar, Noble) and am converting several Sorcerer feats into bloodlines.

They were based around the four elements of Ravenloft (an idea based on certain Ravenloft Golems from 2nd edition): Mist Born, Pyre Blooded, Grave Marked and Blood Damned (Mist/Air, Pyre/Fire, Grave/Earth, Blood/Water, respectively.)

i know i am interested I am about to start running expedition to castle ravenloft with pfrpg and i definitely want to use some ravenloft campaign staples, like fear, horror and madness checks. Any ideas would be great might offer the sorcerer bloodlines in the future depending on how this turns out.

Actually, the worst thing White Wolf did was to cut-and-paste 2nd Ed material into their 3.5 Ravenloft books. That may have been fine for simple background, but not for monster and NPC stats. Hopefully, when an official PF conversion of the rules comes out, whoever prints it catches that and makes sure stats are upgraded accordingly. I always loved Ravenloft, but I'm not so sure I can convince my current group to try it out...
something about there being too many undead to contend with ;-)

Actually, the worst thing White Wolf did was to cut-and-paste 2nd Ed material into their 3.5 Ravenloft books. That may have been fine for simple background, but not for monster and NPC stats. Hopefully, when an official PF conversion of the rules comes out, whoever prints it catches that and makes sure stats are upgraded accordingly. I always loved Ravenloft, but I'm not so sure I can convince my current group to try it out...

something about there being too many undead to contend with ;-)

I know what you mean. I was disappointed with the conversion of Azalin Rex, and some other material. However to be fair to White Wolf I dont think they had much leeway to work with in the first place. They did an excellent job with detailing the setting and expanding upon it, moving the story line along the road. They fleshed out alot of the lesser well-known darklords, and expanded upon histories of other domains.I for one would definitely play Ravenloft. Its a pity that Ravenloft has always been relegated to the wings.

I do not ever see there being a official conversion. Wotc took it's IP and went home. I do not see them shelling it out. A shame what they did to it for the new system, just a shame

WOTC has already dismantled the Demiplane of Dread and placed the Dread Domains directly in the Shadowfell, so it would be a bit hard to make a unified "Ravenloft" campaign again, now that each Dead Domain is its own little pocket in the Shadowfell.

I do not ever see there being a official conversion. Wotc took it's IP and went home. I do not see them shelling it out. A shame what they did to it for the new system, just a shame

WOTC has already dismantled the Demiplane of Dread and placed the Dread Domains directly in the Shadowfell, so it would be a bit hard to make a unified "Ravenloft" campaign again, now that each Dead Domain is its own little pocket in the Shadowfell.

Once more WOTC demonstrated how it could take a perfectly good setting and just destroy it. With total disregard to all the hard work and effort that was put in.

Once more WOTC demonstrated how it could take a perfectly good setting and just destroy it. With total disregard to all the hard work and effort that was put in.

It's easy enough to consider things alternate universes and mirrors. I personally loathe the 4e mechanics, but I rather like the Shadowfell and the Fey Realms because I've been playing with these for ages in my own games, long before they were incorporated into the 4e setting.

Placing the various settings from the "Demiplane of Dread" into the "Shadowfell" instead simply makes an alternate cosmology, and really, traveling to a shadow demiplane versus a misty demiplane with lots of creepy stuff and undead and so on? Who's going to know the difference?

I wanted to point out that I also wasn't trying to make any kind of value judgement over the way WOTC is handling the Domains of Dread, either. I have my opinion, but my post really wasn't meant to convey anything one way or the other, I was just pointed out that its unlikely that Ravenloft will be seen as a 4th Edition campaign setting because of the way the Domains have already been handled up to this point.

My apologies if I pulled anything off topic, and I also apologize because I didn't want anything to be construed as any kind of edition baiting.

I've been using for a while a variant rule for Calibans, with different ability score bonuses and penalties and deformities, presented in an old issue of QtR... I always found it much more fit for such a diverse race.

However, I long ago resolved that rather than Horror and Madness checks and Powers checks I would use the Taint system from Heroes of Horror, it feels a lot smoother for me. I'd replace failed Horror and Madness with Depravity (mental taint) points, and failed Power's checks with Corruption (physical taint) points.

However, I long ago resolved that rather than Horror and Madness checks and Powers checks I would use the Taint system from Heroes of Horror, it feels a lot smoother for me. I'd replace failed Horror and Madness with Depravity (mental taint) points, and failed Power's checks with Corruption (physical taint) points.

Not bad it kind of simplifies the system. I think taint was based off the failed powers checks. However dont you think its a bit harsh that a failed horror or madness check should result in taint.

Once more WOTC demonstrated how it could take a perfectly good setting and just destroy it. With total disregard to all the hard work and effort that was put in.

It's easy enough to consider things alternate universes and mirrors. I personally loathe the 4e mechanics, but I rather like the Shadowfell and the Fey Realms because I've been playing with these for ages in my own games, long before they were incorporated into the 4e setting.

Placing the various settings from the "Demiplane of Dread" into the "Shadowfell" instead simply makes an alternate cosmology, and really, traveling to a shadow demiplane versus a misty demiplane with lots of creepy stuff and undead and so on? Who's going to know the difference?

Quite a few people will know the difference. There were reasons for everything in the Demi-plane of Dread. All the domains of the core are interconnected somehow. There is a tie that binds all of them and t goes beyond just the horredous sins of each Dark Lord. The Ravenloft Gazeteers (Amongst the best works in D&D) hint at this. I suggest if you have this material to go over it again, and search for the connections. (Azalin will have you simultaneously terrified and rolling over with laughter.)

Not bad it kind of simplifies the system. I think taint was based off the failed powers checks. However dont you think its a bit harsh that a failed horror or madness check should result in taint.

Well, seeing as it otherwise results in going mad ... and taint is actually quite easy to deal with, a Lesser Restoration within a few hours can rid you of a small amount, and in keeping with Pathfinder's various other changes I would probably allow a 24 hour later second save against it.

Corruption from powers checks is different, though - if you accrue corruption from things you have done, you should pay for it. I would, however, drop the automatic powers checks for classes - that just struck me as being overly arbitrary. It's thematic for Lovecraftian Horror, but Ravenloft isn't quite that; Ravenloft should give you the opportunity to be the hero or not based on your choices, not random checks on the dice.

The taint system itself was modified from Oriental Adventures that may pre-date the appearance of F/H/M in Ravenloft. I'd also use the Taint system for, say, the Mournland (largely mental), or the Demon Wastes (physical and mental) in Eberron. I always got the feeling the the mists of the Mournland may have a link to the Realms of Dread ...

Quite a few people will know the difference. There were reasons for everything in the Demi-plane of Dread. All the domains of the core are interconnected somehow. There is a tie that binds all of them and t goes beyond just the horredous sins of each Dark Lord. The Ravenloft Gazeteers (Amongst the best works in D&D) hint at this. I suggest if you have this material to go over it again, and search for the connections. (Azalin will have you simultaneously terrified and rolling over with laughter.)

I would also recommend the 'I, Strahd' books, they explain more of the Realm of Dread's very personal kind of horror, and the trap that the Darklords are in of their own making. It's easy to see what Strahd can do to free himself, or Azelin, or Adam, or many other Darklords for that matter, but they never will humble their own pride and passion so far as to do it.

The Vistani are another pivotal feature of the Realms of Dread (replacing them with halflings ... I mean, what were they thinking?).

Bottom line is, Ravenloft was making money, and if it made money Wizards wanted it for 4e.

All the Speciality hunters now receive a capstone ability at 5th level in their class.

Beast Hunter
Run!(Ex)
Once per encounter you receive a +20ft morale bonus to your base speed for one minute. This is a swift action.

Ghost Hunter
Ghost Touched(Su)
Designate one melee weapon, after possessing that weapon for 24 hours it is considered to have the Ghost Touch weapon ability. If you lose this weapon you may not designate another weapon for one week.

Vampire Hunter
Distasteful (Ex)
You have discover a way of treating your food to make your blood foul tasting to creatures who attempt to drink it. Creatures that attempt to feed on you must pass a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD+ Int Mod) or recoil and not attempt to feed on you again for an hour. This ability is peculiar to your metabolism and you may not treat anyone else's food. The cost associated with such an ability is 1gp per day in ingredients.

Witch Hunter
A Witch Hunter gains Diplomacy as a class skill.
Pitchforks and Torches (Ex)
When in the presence of a crowd, as long as you continue to speak or direct the crowd (Diplomacy Check) members of the crowd of 4th level or lower receive the following bonuses. All weapons wielded by effected members of the crowd are considered magic, The effected members of the crowd gain a +3 morale bonus to hit, damage and on fear, horror & madness effects.

Demon Hunter
Strike True (Su)
Designate one melee weapon, after possessing that weapon for 24 hours it is considered to be magical and composed of both sliver and cold iron for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. If you lose this weapon you may not designate another weapon for one week.

Also there doesn't seem much love for the mechanical stuff that the 3.5 stuff had. I think a lot of the problems that were to be had with the mechanics were based on the fact there was the change from 3.0 to 3.5 in the middle of their line. That said I think that is mostly in relation to their prestige classes.

I've found the powers check system to be a good source of drama and an endearing way to make players think about their actions. I do think three different saves is a bit clunky for fear, horror and madness (though I do know what they were trying to get across, especially with madness).

As for the fluff and the storyline, I cannot fault the 3.5 material. Ravenloft became more than a dungeon bash with eyeliner. The civilized lands in the core gave somewhere interesting for players to come from and the wilder lands somewhere to adventure in. The Gazetteers are one of my favourite series of supplements for background and fluff, I am disappointed they didn't get to do the full 13.

For those of you following the playtest, here is a ravenloft tinged Order for Cavaliers. Though I hope it could work well enough in any setting.

Quote:

Order of the Misty Border

Cavaliers who join the order of the Misty Border dedicate their lives to the road and the traveller. They travel themselves to ensure the world is a safer place for those who must journey across the realms. They are often found as drifting knights or sheriffs of towns on trade routes.

Edicts: The cavalier must seek out the lost and aid the traveller. They may never ignore the plight of a traveller gone astray. The must place lost individuals on the path to safety or protect from the danger of wandering the realms. Cavaliers of this order must root out banditry if possible.

Challenge: Whenever an order of the misty border cavalier issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls against the target of his challenge so long as he is not within the bounds of a town or city. The bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses.

Skills: An order of the misty border cavalier adds Knowledge (Geography) (Int) and Survival (Wis) to his list of class skills. In addition, whenever an order of the misty border cavalier uses Survival to find a settlement or safe campsite, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1).

Order Abilities: An order of the sword cavalier receives the following abilities as he increases in level.

Track: At 2nd level, the cavalier receives Track as a bonus feat.

Strike Now! (Ex): At 8th level, the cavalier can call out to his allies, showing them a vital moment in which to strike obscured foes. As a swift action, the cavalier allows the first attack of that round of all their allies within 30 feet to ignore concealment or miss chances caused by weather, magic or darkness. This does not cover miss chances due to incorporeity. This ability can be used once per combat.

Untouchable Moment (Ex): At 15th level, the cavalier can once per day move swiftly and elusively, to strike to the heart of a conflict or to remove them from it. As an immediate action the cavalier gains a 50% miss chance and add a 20ft moral bonus on their base speed for 1 minute.

Is there anything from Pathfinder that you think doesn't fit in the Ravenloft setting? I generally instruct players to give toned down descriptions of spells.

I'm going to have a look at any new magic items to see if any could be considered worth a powers check. I know not everyone may be using the powers check system but it's the one I'll be using in campaign (if someone want to post something similar for taint feel free).

I really like the Order of the Misty Border and plan on encorporating it into my next RL game, but it gives me an the idea of converting the Knight of the Shadow (from Van Richten's Arsenal) into an Order for the Cavalier.

This is a class I wrote years ago for an old 3.5 Ravenloft game at the request of my wife. I refined and revised it and eventually submitted it to the The Le Games, where it saw publication as "The Gyria." Some time later, I contacted my editor, who kindly returned the rights to the material for whatever use I desired. After revising some of the revisions that my editor had done in its conversion to the "Gyria", I wrote the class as I wished it to be. I have also included below the Gypsy a prestige class called "The Dagger Dancer".

The Confessor wrote:

THE GYPSY

Often called a vagabond, thief or worse, the gypsy is an ever-traveling drifter who comes from a heritage and traditions of nomadic entertainers and performers known as the Vistani. Gypsies have zest for life and love every aspect of their nomadic lifestyle. A gypsy often seeks to bring song, dance, merriment, chaos, and even a little wisdom to all whom she encounters. Masters of local gossip and hear-say as well as secret manipulators of arcane magic of deception and truth, the gypsy is an enigmatic companion who offers something new to everyone they meet.

Adventures: Gypsies are perfectly suited the adventurer's lifestyle; some would even say they are born into it. They have a curious nature coupled with some diverse abilities to make them excellent scouts and investigators. Gypsies also make magnificent social liaisons for adventuring parties. Their combination of charm and keen social eye often leads them to uncover subtle social clues that often go unobserved by others in an adventuring party.

Characteristics: Gypsies does not possess the combat abilities of a swordsman, nor the arcane mastery of a magus. They are not welcomed like minstrels, but neither are they reviled, as would be a thief. Such is the life of a gypsy, to never quite fit in wherever they go. But what gypsies do possess is a tenacity and zeal that allows them to draw upon an ancient and often under-estimated heritage to develop several unique and surprising abilities. Many warriors have let their bravado get the best of them, only to find a gypsy dagger between the plates of their armor. Gypsies live, first and for most by their wits. Magical or mundane, they always find a way to survive and even prosper.

Alignment: Because of their nomadic lifestyle and jovial nature, gypsies favor chaos over law. While gypsies are known as tricksters and charlatans, few are particularly philanthropic or malicious, so they tend to favor neutrality over good or evil.

Religion: While many gypsies acknowledge and offer some small tribute to the gods of travel and luck, most gypsies forgo devout religious conviction and instead pay respect to the spirits of their ancestors.

Background: Almost all gypsies were born and raised into their lifestyle. Very few, if any, outsiders are ever allowed into the inner circles of gypsy lie and never learn the secrets necessary to take up the title of gypsy. Most gypsies spend their youth among their family, traveling across the world offering entertainment and exotic beauty and in return taking whatever the area has to offer. Most gypsies who join adventuring parties do so because they are curious about other cultures or societies and are firm believers in learning by doing. A few, more bitter, gypsies are cast out of their tribes or among the only survivors of their families and adopt an adventuring party as a surrogate family.

Races: Humans make up the vast majority of gypsies, though other races are not unknown. A large number of half-elves are taken in by gypsy tribes and find a home and a family there. Halflings, with their free spirited personality and love of the wild sometimes become gypsies, as do some rare nomadic elves. Dwarf and gnome gypsies are almost unheard of and Caliban gypsies are extrodinarily rare – though it is not unheard of for a clan of the wandering folk to take in one given their terrible lot in life.

Other Classes: Gypsies get along well with bards and rogues, whom with they share a freewheeling nature. They have a great respect for rangers and druids, whom they believe have a special connection with nature. They are fascinated by the sorcerer's innate ability to weave magic, but believe wizards to be staunch and arrogant for the most part. Paladins and monks tend to have difficulties with the gypsy's ne'er-do-well philosophies and this can often lead to conflict or even hostility.

GAME RULE INFORMATION:

Gypsies have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Of key importance to a gypsy are the attributes of Dexterity and Charisma. These two attributes affect the skills most commonly used by a gypsy as well as helping them to either avoid incoming blows or talk their way out of being struck in the first place. Also of importance is Wisdom, which helps them draw upon ancestral knowledge to learn greater magical powers. Intelligence and Constitution can also be useful for the gypsy's broad skill list and their nomadic lifestyle.

Alignment: Despite their transient nature and free-spirited life-style, many gypsies hold to an odd code of honor. This paradoxical combination makes for an almost infinite variety in personalities and moral outlooks, but it prohibits them from been too tied down to any single staunch code of ethics. As such a gypsy may be any alignment except Lawful Good.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Gypsies are proficient in all simple weapons and light armor, but not shields.

Gypsy Lore (Ex): Because they are so widely traveled and different caravans of gypsies so freely exchange information, Gypsies are able to keep up to date on the local events in most areas. This network of communication allows the Gypsy to use the Knowledge (Local) skill in any area they travel as if they were a local to that area once they have been in that area for at least one hour and gotten a feel for the populous.

Knife Fighting: Though not combative by nature, Gypsies are never the less known for their seductive and often deadly prowess with daggers. At 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, & 18th levels the Gypsy receives a free Knife Fighting special ability chosen from the list below. A gypsy may use their collective Knife Fighting abilities a number of times equal to their (Charisma Modifier +1) per day.

1. Insulting Strike: The gypsy my elect to only do a single point of damage with her next attack and make an insulting strike, such as a cut to the cheek or something similar. If the attack is successful and the damage is inflicted the gypsy's opponent must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Gypsy's level + Gypsy's Charisma Mod) or become enraged. An opponent in such a state will completely focus on attacking the gypsy with reckless abandon. Such opponents tend not to think reasonably and suffer a -4 to all Concentration skill checks and -2 to their armor class for a number of rounds equal to the Gypsy's Charisma modifier. This may affect only opponents who are not immune to mind-affects and have with an intelligence of 3.

2. Swaying Body, Whirling Blades: By moving in a deceptively simple manner a gypsy may attempt to lull her opponent into a false sense of security. By making a successful Bluff check (DC 20), the gypsy may actually turn the tables on any opponent who attempts to make an attack of opportunity against them with a melee weapon. While using this ability any opponent who attempts such an attack must succeed in a Reflex save (DC 20), or find their attack ineffective and they themselves be subjected to an attack of opportunity. This attack of opportunity counts against the gypsy's number of attacks of opportunity for the round.

3. Bloodied Blade: One round after inflicting at least one point of damage on their opponent the gypsy may choose to taste their opponent's blood and get a feel for their soul as a swift action. Doing so causes the gypsy to get a sense of her opponent's soul. That opponent suffers a penalty equal to the gypsy's Wisdom modifier to all saving throw against that gypsy's spells for a number of rounds equal to the Gypsy's class level. This ability may only be used on opponents who actually have blood. This leaves oozes, undead and the like immune. It may only be used once per day on any given opponent.

4. Seductive Strike: By moving seductively and making disarmingly slow strikes the gypsy appears to not only be harmless, but also enticing. The Gypsy may allocate their Charisma modifier as a penalty in any way to a single opponent's AC, Initiative, Attack roll, and damage for a number of rounds equal to her gypsy level. An opponent immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities is unaffected by this ability. In addition, it may only be used on creatures of the opposite sex who have an intelligence of three or more.

5. Dance of Flashing Knives: The gypsy may, while going on a full defense, may make a Bluff check (DC 15) to move her blades with such speed and panache as to distract her opponent, automatically gaining the initiative over their opponent the next round and receiving a +4 to their next strike against that opponent. Their initiative for that round is effectively one higher than their opponent's. This change initiative allows the Gypsy to preempt their opponent's action the next round, but has no effect on their initiative in regards to any other participant in the combat.

6. Performance Throw: The gypsy may, as a full-round action, attempt to disarm an opponent with a thrown dagger instead of a melee attack. If the attempt is successful and within ten feet of the gypsy, they may catch the disarmed weapon if they have a free hand available. Only one-handed weapons of a size category no greater than the gypsy may be caught in this fashion. A gypsy who actually possesses the Improved Disarm feat receives +4 to their Combat Maneuver Bonus when using this ability.

7. Steal a Kiss: By making a successful Bluff check (DC equal to opponent's armor class), the Gypsy is able lock their weapons for just an instant and kiss them right on the lips. This startling maneuver leaves their opponent flat-footed for a number of rounds equal to the gypsy's charisma modifier. Each round after the first, the victim of this ability may make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + Gypsy’s Charisma modifier) to stop being flat-footed. This may affect only opponents who are not immune to mind-affects and have with an intelligence of 3.

8. Ricocheting Throw: The gypsy may, as a full-round action, attempt to ricochet a thrown dagger off a nearby solid surface (including the ground) in order to bypass a chosen target’s cover and/or concealment bonus if the Gypsy knows where their chosen target is. This may only be done with a thrown dagger and requires a minimum range of 10 feet to be effective. The gypsy suffers a –2 to their attack roll, but ignores any cover or concealment bonuses their target would normally receive from their surroundings.

Luck of the Rom (Ex): Beginning at 4th level the gypsy taps into the mythic luck that seems to follow them in their travels. But this luck does not come without a price. The Gypsy may, as a free action, choose to re-roll any failed (or critically failed) d20 roll. This second roll receives an additional luck bonus equal to the gypsy's Charisma modifier. But this windfall of luck has a price, and Lady Luck always calls in her debts. Skilled gypsies have even learned to draw this tribute from their enemies, while young and reckless gypsies often save themselves but end up cursing their friends.
At 4th level when the Gypsy uses this ability all of her allies within 60 feet suffer a penalty equal to the Gypsy's Charisma modifier on their next saving throw.
At 8th level the gypsy has gained more control over this karmic retribution and the only allies within 10 feet of the gypsy suffer this penalty.
By the time a Gypsy reaches 8th level, they have garnered kismet's favor and their allies suffer no penalty.
At 12th level the gypsy has learned to turn his dire luck on their enemies and all enemies within 10 feet of the gypsy suffer a penalty on their next saving throw equal to the gypsy's charisma modifier. At 16th level the range of this affect expands to 30 feet.
Finally at 20th level it reaches its full range and affects all enemies within 60 feet. If an ally or enemy is still subjected to a saving throw penalty because of Luck of the Rom and a gypsy makes use of this ability a second time, then the penalty to that being's penalties continue to stack.

So for example, Natalya, a 16th level gypsy with a Charisma of 18 decides to use her Luck of the Rom ability. She has just failed an attack roll and may now re-roll it with a +4 bonus. The three goblins next to her now suffer a -4 for to their next saving throw. If Natalya were to use her Luck of the Rom ability a second time before the goblins needed to make a saving throw, this penalty would increase to –8.

Spells: Beginning at second level a gypsy begins to tap into the mystical aspect of her heritage. She may cast a number of spells per day as listed on the chart above. These spells are cast in a similar fashion to a sorcerer with the following exceptions. The DC to resist these saves is (10 + spell level + Gypsy's Charisma modifier). The gypsy receives bonus spells based on her Wisdom modifier. A gypsy must rest 8 hours each evening in order to refresh herself and regain lost spells.

Cantrips: At 1st level Gypsies learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Spells Known Table. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

The Confessor wrote:

Dagger Dancer

Legends say that those who have gypsy blood in their veins possess a gift for dance. There are some who take this gift and turn to the art of combat, learning to weave the rhythms of their own body and the razor’s edge of a blade. These are known as Dagger Dancers. Though not as deadly fighters who are trained with these weapons, the elusive, almost magical abilities they bring to bear against their foes can often be as deadly as any trained warrior.

Requirements:
To become a Dagger Dancer, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:
Base Attack Bonus: +3
Feats: Weapon Focus (Dagger), Dodge
Skills: Acrobatics 5 ranks, Perform (Dance) 5 ranks
Special: Must have at least two Knife Fighting special abilities.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Dagger Dancer gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Dagger Dance: While it appears to most onlookers to be little more than a dance involving swaying hips and slithering blades, the Dagger Dance is in-fact a complex series of precise cuts and elusive dodges disguised as simple dance maneuvers. As the Dagger Dancer becomes more skilled, they learn new dance techniques and their performance grows more complex and deadly.

In order to enter the Dagger Dance the character must take a full-round action to make a Perform (Dance) check. The DC for this check is determined by what type of Dagger Dance the character is attempting to perform. If there is someone actively using a Perform skill to create music of reasonable quality (DC 15 or higher) when the Dagger Dancer attempts to begin her dance, she receives a +2 to her own Perform (Dance) check.
If the dancer is successful, the character receives all of the benefits of the that Dagger Dance for a number of rounds equal to their (Dexterity modifier +1). The character may use this ability a number of times each day equal to their Dagger Dancer level.

This ability may only be used while the Dagger Dancer is unarmored or wearing light armor and may not be done if the Dagger Dancer is using a shield.

Waltz of Elusive Steel: This dance is slow and deceptively simple, making the dancer appear sluggish and easy to strike. The truth is that the dancer is luring his “partner” into a falsehood in order to gain advantage over them. While engaged in the Waltz of Elusive Steel, the Dagger Dance receives the following benefits: They may add their Charisma modifier to their Armor Class when fighting defensively or engaging in a full defense. In addition, they also receive the benefits of the Mobility feat while engaged in the Waltz of Elusive Steel.
The Waltz of Elusive Steel has a Perform (Dance) DC of 15.

Fandango of Swift Deception: This dance rises in tempo and as it does, so too does the dancer move faster and faster. A dance built on fearless speed, Dagger Dancers typically use the Fandango to move up quickly on an unsuspecting foe and engage them in melee before they can react. While engaged in the Fandango of Swift Deception the dancer receives the following benefits: The Dancer receives a bonus of +10 feet to their movement as well as provoking no attacks of opportunity for moving through threatened areas. Finally, the Dagger Dancer is considered to have the Improved Overrun feat while engaged in the Fandango of Swift Deception.
The Fandango of Swift Deception has a Perform (Dance) DC of 18

Tango of Blood Repaid: This reckless, fast dance is typically performed for an audience as a sensual performance or used against a foe that has driven the dancer into a mad passion. The dancer constantly moves while performing this dance, behind a series of paralyzing slashes and cuts, so that their foe lay broken and beaten – to be punished or dispatched as the dancer wills it. While engaged in the Tango of Blood Repaid the dancer receives the following benefits: Each time the dancer strikes their target, they may choose to make a paralytic strike instead of inflicting damage. If this is done, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC = Dagger Dancer’s total Perform (Dance) skill.) If this save is failed then the target suffers only a single point of damage, but they find their base movement reduced by 10 feet. If a target’s base movement is reduced to zero, they are immobilized. Finally, while engaged in this dance and wielding a dagger the Dagger Dancer receives the benefits of the Combat Reflexes feat
The Tango of Blood Repaid has a Perform (Dance) DC of 20

Moresca of Crossed Blades: This swift-tempo dance is typically used to overwhelm opponents with a series of quick and brutal slashes and stabs. To the typical onlooker, it appears as though the dancer is caught in some epic rhythm they can’t escape. While engaged in the Moresca of Crossed Blades the dancer receives the following benefits: They receive an additional attack each round, though this and all other attacks in that round suffer a –2 penalty. In addition, the threat range for the dagger wielded during this dance is doubled, as if the dancer possessed the Improved Critical feat. (Characters who already possess this feat receive no additional benefit). As a final benefit, all critical threats rolled during the Moresca of Crossed Blades are automatically considered to be confirmed as critical hits without the necessity of a confirmation roll.
The Moresca of Crossed Blades has a Perform (Dance) DC of 25.

Malaguena of Shattered Souls: The dancer singing a single melancholy note typically begins this dark and mournful dance. Then with a calm, almost blank look in their eyes, the sway and move towards their opponent, their intent obvious as they sway to the silent music of death. The sad truth is that this dance can often be as deadly to the dancer as it is to the target. While engaged in the Malaguena of Shattered Souls the Dagger Dance designates a single target as their “dance partner” for the duration of the dance. The target knows when he has been chosen by the icy gaze of the Dagger Dancer and must make a Will save (DC 10 + Dagger Dancer’s Class Level + Dagger Dancer’s Charisma Modifier) or become shaken. When attacking this target, the Dagger Dancer is considered to be wielding a dagger with the appropriate Bane enchantment to use against their foe. They also ignore any Damage Reduction their chosen foe might possess. In addition, they receive the benefits of the following feats for the duration of the dance: Improved Critical (Dagger), Weapon Specialization (Dagger) and Diehard. But, the Malaguena of Shattered Souls is not without its price. After the Dagger Dancer finishes this dance, she must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + previous Dance Partner’s level). If this saving throw is failed, the Dagger Dancer suffers a permanent two points of ability drain to either their Constitution or Wisdom scores, as the sheer magnitude of this dance begins to take its toll on either body or their soul.
The Malaguena of Shattered Souls has a Perform (Dance) DC of 30.

Knife Fighting: At 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th level the Dagger Dancer receives a new Knife Fighting ability, as per the Gypsy class.

Master Dancer: At 10th level the Dagger Dancer has become a master of blade dancing. The Dagger Dancer may choose to Take 10 on any Perform (Dance) check made to activate their Dagger Dance ability. Also, activating their Dagger Dance is now considered to be a move-equivalent action and not a full-round action. This allows the Dagger Dancer to more freely and fluidly switch between dances during combat.

I've been using for a while a variant rule for Calibans, with different ability score bonuses and penalties and deformities, presented in an old issue of QtR... I always found it much more fit for such a diverse race.

I've always thought it strange that Caliban are a race. I mean, they're not really a separate race, they're basically just mutant humans. It's like saying Sorcerer should be a race. Why not just make it a Feat, Template, Class, Sorcerer Bloodline, or something?

Representing the Calaban as a separate race underscores their status as outcasts. Its part of the superstitious and untrusting atmosphere of the haunted setting. Of course the kicker is that in this setting, the atmosphere is justified.

Is there anything from Pathfinder that you think doesn't fit in the Ravenloft setting? I generally instruct players to give toned down descriptions of spells.

I'm going to have a look at any new magic items to see if any could be considered worth a powers check. I know not everyone may be using the powers check system but it's the one I'll be using in campaign (if someone want to post something similar for taint feel free).

I'm not sure about the "toned down" magic. Honestly I think that is more a product of the switch between magic in 2E and 3E rather than the setting itself, with a few exceptions (Domains that are actually magic resistant by nature). Honestly, I think the thing that really needs emphasized in Mystfinder is that it is not so much a heroic (in the sense that players are basically superheroes amongst common folk with all 10's for stats), setting, but rather a darker and grittier one. I think in a certain sense, Ravenloft was both the most mature and realistic of the settings (besides possibly Dragonlance). Things are not always fair,the "good guys" don't always win (and usually do not), and there is no such thing as balance.

Another thing might be to tone down various player immunities, (like how white wolf's ravenloft, Paladins are not immune to mundane fear, and thus fear checks). The Fighter should really lose that fear bonus, except against straight fear spells. Things like that. Again just my opinions.

Honestly, I think the thing that really needs emphasized in Mystfinder is that it is not so much a heroic (in the sense that players are basically superheroes amongst common folk with all 10's for stats), setting, but rather a darker and grittier one. I think in a certain sense, Ravenloft was both the most mature and realistic of the settings (besides possibly Dragonlance). Things are not always fair,the "good guys" don't always win (and usually do not), and there is no such thing as balance.

Another thing might be to tone down various player immunities, (like how white wolf's ravenloft, Paladins are not immune to mundane fear, and thus fear checks). The Fighter should really lose that fear bonus, except against straight fear spells. Things like that. Again just my opinions.

Good point, I'll be keeping on the Fear, Horror, Madness system ; as I'll primarily be using the 3.5 material. The solution given for the Paladin immunity to fear is that it only works on magical effects and they recieve a feat that gives a bonus to mundane Fear saves.

In the case of Fighters, I'd be inclined to make the following change,

Quote:

Bravery (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a fighter gains a +1 bonus on Will saves against Horror. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 2nd.

This way fighters will deal with the gore element of things, witch they would be well used to.

I was thinking when I'm done, I'll produce a small pdf to make everything more readable and referenceable. If anyone wants to contribute 1-3 pieces of art in the same style as the 3.5 art, that would be cool.

hey all. first post on this message board, and this is exactly what im looking for. a pathfinder/ ravenloft mashup. just bought both pathfinder books and now wanting to get more involved with the whole thing =]

just got off dnd boards completly as they are much too rude and thick headed, treating the editions as one would a sports team. looking to find a home heere =)

Somebody asked for adapting he Heroes of Horror Taint rules to the Ravenloft setting. The taint rules are on Page 62 of the Heroes of Horror source-book.

Taint and Fear/Horror/Madness:

Fear and Horror in Revenloft can remain pretty much as they are, HoH has similar rules for Dread and Fear; the exception I would make is a gain in taint on a 'fumbled' horror check. Madness can be replaced with Depravity (mental Taint), however, and it conveniently falls along the same scale of minor, moderate and severe.

This may seem overly generous to the character failing, however it must be born in mind that depravity accumulates if it is not removed within 24 hours. I would also allow points of depravity to be removed by the methods listed in the Ravenloft Player's Handbook referring to 'Recovering from Madness' - each successful recovery check that would regain a lost ability point instead removes a point of depravity.

The effects of Wisdom: Madness saves are treated as they are in Ravenloft, with the wisdom 'bonus' being countered by an equivalent penalty - Wisdom gives you greater willpower, but your greater insight is no help at all! However, high Wisdom means that you can cope with higher levels of depravity before showing ill-effects.

Taint and Powers Checks:

This is a harder system to judge, as the powers check system is long and involved, while Corruption (physical Taint) is actually quite simple. However a further complication is that Corruption is treated as being entirely physical, while Powers Checks are mental with physical effects. As such when using Corruption to represent failed powers checks, this can be done in two ways:

Judging Corruption:
The level of Corruption translates as the Path of Corruption in Ravenloft, and this compares to Taint as follows (remember though that the score of Ravenloft Corruption is not Constitution but Wisdom):
1 point = The Caress
Mild Taint (Corruption) = The Enticement
Moderate Taint (Corruption) = The Invitation
Severe Taint (Corruption) = The Embrace
Death/Madness Threshold = The Creature/The Darklord (at DM's discretion)

Redemption:
Each act of Redemption will remove one point of Corruption. Corruption may not be removed in any other way.

Here is the brief layout I'll aim for when compiling things for the PDF. If anyone can think of something that needs inclusion please tell me. My aim is to get a basic working conversion for Player and GM use.

I'll think about re-stating stuff at a much later date. I think a re-stat of Strahd alone would be a thread to itself.

A change to lingustics. Although I've always thought the Gnomes should be kind of dutch or italian.

Quote:

Linguistics

Learn a Language:
Whenever you put a rank into this skill, you learn to speak and read a new language if you have been exposed to it through the written word and conversation for at least a month. If you have not been exposed to the language in one medium you cannot use that medium until you have been exposed in this way for at least a month.

For example
Emilio De Levkarest is a Borcan noble man and has read extensively and has some Darkoneese friends. He wishes to learn Darkonese, he places a rank into Linguistics and studies his books. He also starts to engage his friends from Darkon in conversation in stumbling Darkonese. At the end of the month he has mastered Darkonese.

Emilio‘s sister , Camilla, is learning Darkonese from the same books, yet she lacks his social connections. As such she cannot converse with speakers of Darkonese. She studies for a month and place a rank into the Linguistics skill. She can read and write Darkoneese, but cannot carry on a conversation or understand one.

There is no common or trade language in the Dread Realms. Instead choose the language of their domain in place of Common.
Please note the revised list of available languages, (in italics you will notice a real world language which the domain language is similar to. Use this as a guide to accents and it is merely for role-playing purposes).

Beckett mentioned earlier in the thread about producing a gritty feel to Ravenloft, as apposed to the heroic feel of most fantasy settings. I think some of this work is done through the mechanics, the point buy for my game for example will be 10, as suggested for low fantasy in Pathfinder.

What point buys are other DMs using or going to be using for campaigns? Do you think a low point buy is a bad move? Would you go even lower for a truly everyman (but lethal) campaign?

What point buys are other DMs using or going to be using for campaigns? Do you think a low point buy is a bad move? Would you go even lower for a truly everyman (but lethal) campaign?

I think 10 is really good. Pathfinder is, when compared to standard 3.5, a bit more powerful. By keeping the point buy low you can still feel heroic, but not godlike.

Besides, I've found in most of my Ravenloft games statistics tend to give way to pure role playing pretty quickly. Stats become almost incidental until combat begins - if it does.

That being said, by keeping the point buy low, you make combat something to be feared, as it should be.

Here are a few combat options I've used over various games to through the years...

Quote:

New Combat Option: Lowered Damage Threshold
If you ever sustain a single attack deals more points of damage than your Constitution Attribute and it doesn’t kill you outright, you must make a DC 15 Fortitude save. If this saving throw fails, you immediately drop to zero hit points and are Dying. If you take your Constitution score in points of damage or more from multiple attacks, no one of which dealt your Constitution score or more points of damage itself, the massive damage rule does not apply.

New Combat Option: Keeping Your Weapon Trained on a Target
If in a non-combat situation you keep a bow, crossbow, or firearm trained on a target (i.e. the weapon is constantly aimed at them and you follow their movements, ready to fire at a moment’s notice), you must declare under what circumstances you fire your weapon. If these circumstances come to pass, you receive +20 on your initiative roll once combat has been initiated.

New Combat Option: Easy Firearms
Using this optional rule all firearms function exactly as any other missile weapon and the attacker must exceed the target’s total armor class in order to damage the target. In addition, firearms take a full-round action to reload using this rule.

New Combat Option: Realistic Firearms
Using these rules firearms is a bit more complex than normal. A character wielding a firearm may, when he is within the first range increment of his target, ignore up to four points of armor or shield bonus that the target is receiving to his armor class. At the second range increment, the shooter may ignore two points of armor or shield bonus that their target is receiving. At third range increment the shooter does not ignore shield or armor bonuses.
When maximum damage is rolled on the damage die of any firearm, a second die of the same type is rolled and added to the damage. If the second die rolled is the maximum damage possible a third die is rolled. This continues until a damage die does not cause maximum damage.
All firearms take one minute (10 rounds) to reload. Characters with the Rapid Reload feat may reload a firearm in half this time. While reloading a firearm the character may not move more than a five foot step, each round of reloading is considered to be a full-round action.

New Character Option: Standardized Hit Points
Characters no longer roll for increasing hit points as they level. Instead they are given a standard amount each level. This total is kept intentionally low to keep the grim feel of Ravenloft present. For particularly morbid games where combat is meant to be deadly and death is a hare’s breath away, combine this with the Lowered Damage Threshold option.

New Character Option: Lifting the Veil
Characters who are Dying do not always fall unconscious. Each round they may make a Fortitude or Will save (character's choice) with a DC equal to (15 + number of points of damage below zero they currently have suffered.) If they succeed, their senses shift to that of the ethereal plane. The character can now see the restless dead and the fallen spirits around him, as he is about to join them. While the in this state a Dying character may take actions that affect creatures and beings who exist on the ethereal plane as if they themselves were ethereal. You can only take a single move or standard action each turn (but not both, nor can you take full-round actions). You can take move actions without further injuring yourself, but if you perform any standard action (or any other strenuous action) you take 1 point of damage after the completing the act.

Never used either fixed HP or Point-Buy, myself. But it doesn't have to be low point-buy to be gritty as much as that the characters are not so much better than anyone else. Farmers might have 14 or 16 str and con, a doctor might have 18+ int, and things like that.

Pathfinder has done a good job helping out, in some senses. Diseases and Curses are not automatically overcome (usually) with simple magic. I would imagine diseases in Ravenloft all requiring one extra consecutive save to get over (showing that even mundane threats can be harsh). To keep it less lethal to the players, maybe the last save is lower.

Ravenloft happens to be the exception to the rule in that you can have 18 stats in all your scores and still feel helpless. Its all up to the characters role playing and moral choices. And like Becket said certain things cannot be over come with just simple magic Curses being the chief among them. In addition this especially hits spellcasting classes there are magic ratings in the domains, which may limit certain spells.

Ravenloft happens to be the exception to the rule in that you can have 18 stats in all your scores and still feel helpless. Its all up to the characters role playing and moral choices.

That is basically what I mean by Ravenloft not being heroic. The idea is more about survival, both physically and mentally/morally against overwelming odds than saving the day or giving the Bards a new story.

All of the following are Class Features of the scholar prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Scholars gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Scholar's Knowledge (Ex): A Scholar adds his class level to all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained. Levels in this class stack with levels in any other class that grants Bardic Knowledge, but does not grant the Bardic Knowledge class ability itself.

Book Learning (Ex): A Scholar may learn how to speak a language without being exposed to conversation, they may instead consult the written word for a month.

Librarian (Ex): The Scholar gains a specialised library, they must house this library in an abode or a carriage. Choose one Knowledge skill or linguistics (when deciphering writing or a message in an unfamiliar or archaic language), you have +4 insight bonus to your chosen skill check when consulting the library for at least 3 hours.

Identify Curiosity (Ex): At 2nd level,the scholar may use the appraise skill to identify the properties of a magic item. They do not need to use detect magic or identify to do this, but merely needs to examine the item for a full hour. The DC of this check is 15 + item's caster level, you can only attempt to ascertain the properties of an individual item once per day.

Educated (Ex): From 3rd level, the scholar treats their Intelligence score as 2 points higher for the purpose of acquiring skill ranks each level. This ability effects skill ranks gained this level.

Improved Skill Focus (Ex): At 4th level, when ever the scholar receives a bonus from the Skill Focus feat, they receive an additional +1 to that bonus.

Head Librarian (Ex): At 5th level, the scholar may choose two additional Knowledge skills or linguistics (when deciphering writing or a message in an unfamiliar or archaic language) to be effected by the Librarian class ability. In addition the scholar need only consult their library for an hour to receive the insight bonus. Effects of this class ability do not stack. Each time you choose a skill check type, it applies to a new type of skill check.

Wary Intellect (Ex): At 5th Level, the scholar may add their Intelligence modifier as an insight bonus to Fear, Horror and Madness saves.

They have changed the Save Progression for Prestige Classes in PF. It is either +0 or +1 now (rather han +0 or +2). Essentually going into a Prestige Class (that is intended for your class) doesn't bump your Saves but rather essentually continues their progression.

They have changed the Save Progression for Prestige Classes in PF. It is either +0 or +1 now (rather han +0 or +2). Essentually going into a Prestige Class (that is intended for your class) doesn't bump your Saves but rather essentually continues their progression.

Think I've followed the prestige class saves. Though it is hard to post progressions on forums as they don't read well.

Anyone know if there is a format that works and is readable? Pm me if you know.